Computer Science Books

Ant Colony Optimization focuses on the fact that ants foraging for food will quickly form a trail that is the shortest possible ditance betwen the food and home. Rach ant follows the scent trail laid on a path by previous travelers and adds its own pheromone to the scent, both going and coming. With a choice, ants tend to follow the strongest scent. Of a pioneer pair, the one choosing the shortest path will make the round trip before the other. Each pheromone trace evaporates in time, but an ant's antenna can detetct the slightest trace. That is a simplification of the introductory chapters of the book. The "pheromone trail" scheme is used to devise "artificial ant" which then takes part in the comnstruction of powerful ant algorithms for solving intractable problems such as the classical "Traveling Salesman" and other routing problems. The book is a complete text for a college course, with a large bibliography and many internal references to sources on the Internet. It is well written, with pseudo code showing how each algorithm can form computer programs. I can't evaluate the difficulty, but for me the math in later chapters is above my reach, but gratifying, nevertheless.

Being an ant isn't very complex, but it's a daily fight for life. The losers in that fight don't count, but the winners get to vote.

That is the basis of ant colony optimization. There are many parts to the idea, all of them very simple. First, there are many routes to the goal (food, if you're an ant) - some are better, some worse, you don't know which are which in advance, and the answer may change over time. Second, it's a random search. If you find any answer at all, no matter how convoluted, you get to vote on your route. Third, there are many other ants, all voting. Any leg of a trip that is heavily followed must be part of a good route, and gets many votes. There are details, but that's about it.

Chapters 1-3 are the most readable, and convey the basic spirit of the family of algorithms. Ch. 4-6 will drag a bit, for the general reader, but go into significant detail about the ant algorithm and specific applications.

Ch. 7 ends the book with a warm, informal discussion of the algorithm's history and some delightful variations. Dorigo, the principal author and founder of the ant school, uses this chapter to express his pure joy at having found such a wonderful thing, and at the similar approaches that others have also found.

The approach has some real limits. For example, it can solve only problems that look like finding the shortest route. The good news is that a wide range of unlikely problems can all be cast in these terms. The better news is that, given the many variations available, some form of the 'stigmergic' approach will probably solve any problem in that range. Best of all, though, is the sheer cleverness and the sincere appreciation expressed by the authors.

Nature is economical, but a brilliant problem solver. This is written by someone who as able to listen in on one of the lessons.

//wiredweird

Fifteen years after the elegant double-bridge experiments by Deneubourg et al. that formed the basis of the Ant Colony Optimization algorithm, Marco Dorigo, the inventor of ACO, and Thomas Stützle, an expert on stochastic local search methods, have pooled their knowledge to summarize the current state of the art.
This book gives a well paced introduction to ACO, describes its use in various optimization problems and gives interesting examples of its applications in industry. Explanations are clear and concise and, with the exception of a few well defined technical terms, free of scientific jargon. It is a pleasure to read for everyone with an interest in optimization theory. However, if you are looking for a book that celebrates the beauty of nature's problem solving capabilities, you are better of with "Swarm Intelligence" or Flake's "Computational Beauty of Nature". The initial idea of ACO may be bio-inspired, but this book has a crystal clear focus of the computational considerations in optimization theory.

The central idea in the book is to analyse what evolution has provided us. In the form of ants being able to find the shortest path over terrain. This ability has inspired the research described herein.

The book can be read as a fascinating deconstructionist approach to observing and manipulating ant colonies. By trying to look under the observations to discern the fundamental algorithms at work. And then to apply these to such longstanding contexts as the Travelling Salesman Problem.

This book is a fine compilation of what have been done with the Ant Colony paradigm so far. Highly readable, even for people without previous experience in the field of optimization.

This book has been very helpful to me in my personal study of statistics. It is practical, with everyday applications, as well as explanations behind the formulae. Be sure to buy one with the CDROM. It is essential to solving the problems suggested in the book.

I really just had to take the class to finish my masters. The book explains the theories behind the formulas. Having an instructor was very help to understand it all.

I have a large library of math texts from many years in school and I have never read one that was so much fun. This book is really interesting and practical. Finally a statistics book that does more than scare the wit out of somebody. I would highly recommend that more professors choose this book for their students.

Incredibly useful book, easy to use. Contains all the Excel information you will even need in a basic statistics class.

I have used this book in my classroom for the last 3 years and found it very illustrative and simple for students to comprehend statistics. It covers theory with practical examples and therefore keeps it 'real' for students. I have used other books in the past, but students found them theoretical and 'brain show-offs' by authors who really did not care for student comprehensions unless they were math majors. This book is far different and even beginner students can easily relate to the hundreds of practical examples that the author provides.

The Excel examples are easy to follow and my science students usually pick up many practical models from these examples. The regression covered at the beginning level in Chapter 3 is fully covered in multiple regressions in Chapters 17 &18 in a way that makes it easy to teach...

Of the 40-60 stats books I have in my office, this is by far my favorite....

Dr. Bjarne Berg
Assistant Professor Lenoir-Rhyne College
School of Math and Computer Science

I enjoyed the authors' book on logistic regression analysis in 1989, and this book is just as good, or better, with many extremely practical suggestions on building regression models for survival data. Happily, the authors summarize, compare, and contrast several major texts on survival analysis which have appeared in the past 10 years. For example, they discuss different names used by different authors for score residuals. They present a helpful appendix on the counting process approach to survival analysis, which will make more advanced texts accessible to students; thus, anyone who wants to use survival analysis, at any level, should consult this book, even if he has already studied books by Miller, Lee, Collett, Fleming-Harington,Andersen, et al, etc. An unfortunate drawback to this book is that the first printing contains many careless errors, some of which may affect student learning: for example, the definition of a survival function is misstated. I recommend that you insist on the second or third printing when buying this book, and you will be quite satisfied.

The authors provide a really nice, non-technical survey of the landscape for Cox Proportional Hazards models. A nice aspect of their treatment is the care they take to reference all highly technical texts and journal articles. For example, if you'd like to find out more about goodness-of-fit tests for survival models, the authors provide ample references to the Counting Process Theory of Martingale Residuals.

The first chapter discusses the basic characteristics of survival data, including the notion of censoring (in all of its various forms). Examples of the principle types of censoring are included. The chapter also includes introductory material on the general survival model, including a nice description of the log likelihood function. Curiously, the rigorous definition of the hazard function has been omitted, probably to avoid intimidating readers who are not familiar with formal limits.

Chapter 2 continues to build up the general survival model and introduces the relationship between the survivor function and the cumulative hazard. Pointwise estimators for the survivor function are discussed, including the Kaplan-Meier estimator along with the various variance estimators. Test statistics for comparing two survival populations are introduced, including the Log-Rank and General Wilcoxon statistics. The reader is encouraged to read the counting process treatments of these statistics to see why they produced defensible hypothesis tests.

Chapter 3 is devoted to the Cox Model and Cox's partial likelihood function. Tests for significance of the coefficients are introduced, included the Wald test, log likelihood ratio test and the score test. These are used heavily in the later chapters as the basis of a model-building methodology.

Chapter 4 is a very short, but nicely written chapter explaining how to interpret the values of each regression coefficent. It also describes covariate-adjustment techniques for model diagnostics.

Chapter 5 is just a wonderful chapter which outlines classical model building techniques. This is a great chapter for anyone who has ever been thrown a ton of data (with a bushel of possible covariates) and asked to "fit a model to this stuff".
Readers who have done a lot of purposeful fitting of linear regression models won't find the basic techniques new, but use of survival specific residuals and selection criterion will probably be an eye-opener. The section on assessing the functional form for continuous covariates is also nicely written.
However, the section on Best Subsets Selection was a little too "cook-booky" for my taste.

Chapter 6 is another very nice chapter on goodness-of-fit. It discusses analysis of the various residuals and their use for analysis outliers, testing proportional hazards assumptions and overall Goodness-of-Fit.

Chapter 7 discusses the standard extensions of the Cox model, including stratification and time-varying covariates. Chapter 8 discusses parametric survival models, and is a good introduction to the SAS procedure LIFEREG. The generalization of the Cox model to recurring event data (also know as Aalen's multiplicative intensity model) can be found in Chapter 9.

My only complaint is that each chapter was designed to be read in one sitting. Individual ideas, topics and formulas can be buried in a seemingly unbroken chain of paragraphs. The lack of sub-sub section titles,etc, makes using the text as is somewhat cumbersome to use as a desk reference. I've gotten around this limitation by marking key concepts, etc., in the margin in order to give a "quick search" capability enhancement to the index.

Applied Survival Analysis is an excellent book for someone seeking a non-mathematicial explanation of survival analysis. The book covers the motivation behind the development of survival analysis, estimation of survival curves, the Cox proportionial hazards, and some parametric models. The book also covers the major methods used in variable selection, model building, and diagnostics. Someone with an undergraduate background in statistics and econometrics will understand the book. The book relies on text to discuss the methods and uses mathematical formulas only when absolutely necessary. Numerous examples are used to highlight what the text covers. The math that is used is easily understandable. This book is ideal for someone who needs to learn the tools of survival analysis but not how they were derived.

This book provides a good, clear, concise explanation of Cox's proportional hazards models. For someone seeking a non-mathematical description this is a great guide. The original datasets from the text examples can even be downloaded and you can go through the same process yourself. Because of some mistakes in the text, I would recomend looking at other sources as well.

Hosmer and Lemeshow have given us a clear, nontechnical introduction to using survival models. The book strikes a good balance between covering the basics and addressing the most recent, state-of-the-art techniques, including repeated events, frailty models, and others. They also do a good job of addressing practical issues, including estimation details and available software. While most of the examples are drawn from medicine and biostatistics, this book could also serve as a useful starting point for social and behavioral scientists interesting in learning the fundamentals of these models, as well as a useful reference for applied researchers.

Volume 2 of "The Art of Computer Programming" is about random numbers and also about relearning one of the three Rs from grade school, viz. arithmetic. Each topic gets one chapter.

When you generate random numbers in Excel, or VBA, or Perl, or C using functions packaged with the software, you are really using a deterministic algorithm that is not random at all; the results do however look random and so we call them "pseudorandom".

Chapter 3 contains four main sections. First a section devoted to the linear congruence method (Xn+1=(aXn + c) mod m) of generating a pseudorandom sequence; with subsections on how to choose good values for a, c, and m. Second we get a section about how to test sequences to find if they are acceptably random or not. Third we find a section on other methods, expanding on linear congruence. Finally in a particularly fascinating section, DK provides a rigorous definition of randomness.

I haven't looked much at chapter 4 yet, on arithmetic. In it Knuth covers positional arithmetic, floating point arithmetic, multiplication and division at the machine level, prime numbers and efficient ways of investigating the primeness of very large numbers.

Again, DK is thorough and methodical. Again this is not a for dummies book. Again it is about theorems, algorithms, mechanical processes, and timeless truths. Again the exercises are a fascinating blend of the practical (investigate the random generating functions on the computers in your office) to the mathematical (he asks readers to formally prove many of the theorems he cites). And yes, again Knuth uses MIX, that wonderfully archaic fictional 60s machine language. But that should not stop readers; I use Perl.

Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

I recently modified a program I wrote so that it would do operations on polynomials with multi-precision coefficients. For this, I turned to Knuth. This 3-volume set is a great starting point for learning how to implement mathematical calculations on a machine.

Don't listen to the "Reader" from CA. This person obviously has a bone to pick with Knuth. Maybe (s)he failed one of his classes. Maybe (s)he should write his/her own book on the subject.

Of course this is a classic programming text, but the book is fascinating from a mathematical point as well. The discussion of random number generation is worth the price alone. Also neat is the discussion of why numbers with lower initial digits are 'more common' in practice than those with higher initial digits, a topic I've never seen treated elsewhere.

This book is the bible of coputer programming

It contains algorithms on pseudo-random sequences, algotithms on aritmetic operations on number, matrices ect.

The only drawback of this book is that all algprothms are writeen in MIX - some kind of assembler, that make them hard to read.

This book offers a stringent treatment of random number generators and algorithms not found anywhere else. It is particularly valuable for those that deal with encryption and the analysis of cyphers. The exercises add admirably to the text. References to other books in the field are extensive. The book is written in a non-wordy, but still very readable style, making it accessible to serious computer scientists at all levels. A mathematical background is necessary.

I really have nothing to add to the other reviews of this book. I've never learned as much from one single book as I have reading this one. Love it!

This is probably one of the best computer architecture books I have ever read. The thing I like about this book is that Reis does not fall into the same trap as other authors and fills the first seven chapters of the book with lessons on what binary and hex is and how to convert between the two. I have always hated when technical authors begin an advanced technical book with freshmen level topics such as number systems. Real does not repeat this typical mistake. He actually teaches advanced topics such as how the JVM actually works, or how to write a simple compiler by using simple examples and that one can build on. He is obviously very knowledgeable, but uses non technical language in order to reach you. Kudos for a job well done Mr. Reis.

This book is the best book I've seen in assembly language/architecture. It's very clear, thorough, and concrete. It is really superb in how it teaches system concepts. And it shows how C++ and Java works, in addition to how computers work. It has a great chapter on the JVM. It also covers the SPARC and the Pentium. By means of the included software, the reader can design, implement, and test new architectures.

I rank this book at the same level as the Patterson/Hennessy book on computer organization. P/H is more advanced on the hardware side (perhaps too advanced for a first course in this area) but much weaker on the software side. Reis' book is better for a first course. The software that comes with the book is well designed and works well. It allows you to work with the computer at both the machine and micro levels. I've been using the Linux version. Versions are also available for DOS, Windows, Sun Sparc, and Macintosh OS X.

This is one of the greatest books about assembly you can buy...

I will tell you why:

The most of the books (e.g. 'Assembly Language Master Class' of Wrox) which you can buy about assembly are about topics like 'how to paint a bitmap on the screen', 'how to write to a file', 'how to read a character from the keyboard', and so on.

This is nice if you only want to know some little tricks and learn (nearly) nothing about assembly.

If you want to learn something about assembly buy this book! This book covers nearly everything you can imagine in depth.

The nice thing is that is starts like a typical B.Sc computer science computersystem/architecture class: what are numbers, what's hex, what's binary. What about negative numbers? This is a really nice book for someone without formal CS education which want to jump to that level (and beyond).

It covers number theory (hex/bin/etc), Logic units and ALU, etc. etc. This book covers really everything: Virtual Memory, OO programming in Assembly (yeah read it right), different processor architectures, instruction sets, codegenerating by compilers, writting an assembler (yeah cool! 'an' not 'in') etc. etc.

So: if you are looking for a tips and tricks book look somewhere else. This book starts pretty easy, so a lot of people can read this text, but after you finished this 800 page pounder you will have more insight in low level programming than a typical B.Sc/M.Sc in Computer Science (like me).

This book contains a detailed explanation of AutoCAD 2004 commands and how to use them in solving drafting and design problems. Every AutoCAD command and customizing technique is thoroughly explained with examples and illustrations that make it easy to understand their function and application. At the end of each topic, there are examples that illustrate the function of the command and how it can be used in the drawing. When you are done reading this book, you will be able to use AutoCAD commands to make a drawing, create text, make and insert symbols, dimension a drawing, create 3D objects and solid models, write script files, define linetypes and hatch patterns, write your own menus, define new commands, write programs in the AutoLISP and Visual LISP programming languages, customize the status line using DIESEL, and edit the Program Parameter file.
Some of the features of this textbook are:
· Step-by-step instructions for creating text, making and inserting symbols, and dimensioning drawings promote efficient use of the software while strengthening your problem-solving skills.
· Customizing and advanced techniques (such as creating templates, script files, and slide shows) use to enhance productivity are thoroughly explained with examples and illustrations.
· Dual emphasis on conceptual learning and hands-on practice fosters a thorough understanding of the power of AutoCAD 2004 for engineers, architects, and drafters.

We adopted this text for drafting class in our school. All I want to say is that it is a wonderful book. The drafting examples and exercises in this book starting from Chapter 1 through Chapter 17 are simply wonderful, exactly what students need to get "hands on" experience on real drawings.

I have not read the other chapters of this book, but they also surely look wonderful.

I recommend this book to any faculty member that wants to teach a drafting class.

Reminder for the faculty!!!! Make sure you do not forget to ask for teaching support material for this book from the publisher. The teaching support material that comes with this book is simply out of this world.

I am using this text for teaching AutoCAD this semester and so was going through the book during this break. This is an excellent resource for learning AutoCAD 2004 and I am sure it would be a great help in teaching the AutoCAD class. The layout of this book is perfect and is exactly what people need. All the new features of AutoCAD 2004 are explained in detail and are made really simple in this book. I am particularly impressed with the way Sham has explained the modified version of Mtext command and inserting blocks and hatches using the new "palette window". Sham has also explained in detail the various methods of adding new blocks to the palette window. Before I finish, I would also like to mention that the 3D modeling in this book is wonderful!!! One of the best I have seen in AutoCAD books. I am sure the explanation of 3D modeling in this book is one of the best launching pads for the students who want to take classes in advanced solid modeling programs.

My recommendation, looking of AutoCAD books, go ahead and buy this book!!! You would love this book and the exercises in it.

Without taking much space here, I simply wanna say that the 3d in this book is worth all the money! I have used a few other books in the past, but the examples of 3d in this teach a lot new techniques of working. It taught me that AutoCAD is much more than just 2d drafting. I am extremely happy I bought this book :-)

This book is easy to learn AutoCAD. All the commands of AutoCAD are explained with lots of graphic and text. The flow of topics covering AutoCAD is in a good sequence. I use this book to teach students in my class. The exercises and examples are well stated and explained. Above all this, I have the liberty to contact the author for the technical support if I have any technical difficulties using AutoCAD because the Author provides free technical support. This book is recommended to all students willing to learn AutoCAD.

This book is a great resource. While I could give teachers the link to THWT website, passing around a paper copy has led to even more discussion, collaboration and interest. We had a copy out in the faculty lounge, and teachers from grades k-8 all found resources that were useful. Clear, well-organized, and easy to read, this is fantastic for teachers who want to spend 10 min. scanning or those who want a weekend of reading. It is helpful on both specific content links and more general resources. Get a copy for your library or faculty lounge!

Mobile technology does some wonderful things; forcing us to read through Internet pages on small screens while worrying about battery drain is not one of them. Tom Daccord offers history educators, library media specialists, and other interested readers a solution to this very problem with the most mobile, functionally-reliable technology of all: a good old-fashioned book.

Mr. Daccord's Best of History Web Sites is the perfect guidebook to help you plan and succeed on your journey through the varied and often challenging landscape of historical resources on the Web. Anytime, anywhere, the book's pages are yours to flip through, mark up, highlight, dog-ear, and re-read as you peruse the robust compilation of well annotated Web resources. Furthermore, the introductory chapters offer simple, concrete, and productive steps that you can take immediately to begin making your journey through history on the Web an easier, more efficient, and more engaging one.

Whether you consider yourself an adept online researcher, a novice Googler, or a bona fide Luddite, you can learn from this book and bring your skills with identifying and utilizing history Web sites in education to the next level. If only there were a book and accompanying Web portal like this for every subject!

Tom Daccord has done a strange, but incredibly useful thing; he has delivered his tremendous online resource, www.besthistorysites.net, in book form. It is seemingly odd because you have to ask yourself why you would purchase a paper version of a website that you get for free online. The first couple of chapters, Locating & Evaluating History Web Sites and Integrating History Web Sites in the Classroom, cover very important ideas that are in tune with his other web site, Teaching History with Technology (www.thwt.org). This part of the book offers great overviews on how to seek out, vet, and use online resources for any teacher regardless of the subject. Mr. Daccord also discusses how to teach this in class. The meat of the book is valuable because it really lends itself to how teachers work.

I work as a Technology Coach for an elementary school district in a suburb of Chicago. As part of my job I am always trying to build connections with classroom teachers. One of the best ways for me to do that is provide them with easy-to- use resources that they didn't previously know about. When I got Tom's book I emailed all of our middle-school social studies teachers. I told them about Tom's book & suggested that if they had any upcoming units for which they wanted more online resources than they already had I would be happy to look them up in The Best of History Websites & pass them along. Within a few hours I got replies from almost every teacher with request for various topics like ancient civilizations in Egypt, Rome, & Greece, WWII & The Holocaust, The Cold War, The Middle East China and its culture, religion, economy, geography, history, government, and present status, various topics focusing on Europe, Vietnam, Civil Rights, Watergate to "New World Order" , The Post 9/11 World, and the second industrial revolution/ growth of cities late 1800s/early 1900s.

The next day I had teachers stopping in to borrow the book - and that's where I think the real value is in The Best of History Websites. Teachers do a lot of planning & note taking in places where they don't have access to the web, but this book makes thousands of web-based resources for teachers available for lesson planning at any time. As mobile as computing technology is, it's still lags, at least a bit, behind a book. And yes, I found one link that needed to be updated, but out of the 75 or so that I checked, that's a darned good ratio!

For teachers looking for new ways to integrate technology in the classroom Mr. Daccord has hundreds of helpful links, ideas, & suggestions too. There are specific lesson plans, online maps, teaching guides, and activities that extend outside the classroom. This book is a real goldmine.

I'm sure that anyone considering purchasing this tome has already become familiar with the remarkable "Best of History Website." The question that immediately comes to mind is why the oxymoron of a book about websites? There are three reasons: One is the comfort of reading through a book rather than scanning webpages. Anyone who flips through the 400+ pages will immediately be drawn in by the breadth and depth of the sites reviewed. The PBS, the BBC, the Library of Congress and The New York Times websites are well represented, but there are also many obscure, yet fascinating, sites included. The extensive index is a shortcut to discovering hidden gems. The second value of this book is as a step in the conversion of the technophobic social studies teacher. I brought the book to my faculty meeting and passed it around. It was wonderful to hear the little gasps of excitement from some of the, shall we say, mature teachers who didn't know that there were so many wonderful sites on Mesoamerica or The Great Depression. One colleague tried to abscond with it! The third value of this book is the excellent chapter "Integrating History Web Sites in the Classroom." This section summarizes the best-practice use of the internet in the classroom and gave me a number of ideas of ways to make better use of computers in my class.

It is so helpful to have one resource that lists such a comprehensive
collection of online links for our teachers, in a volume that can be
marked up and passed around. The descriptions are accurate, and the
selection of resources is varied and valuable. Thank you for creating
such a wonderful resource!

As an IT Project/Program Manager, senior IT executive and fellow-author for more years now than I care to remember, I found Marsha Lewin's new book, "Better Software Project Management", a pleasant and informative surprise. Ms. Lewin has distilled her obviously vast experience into a highly practical "how-to" book which will prove invaluable to Project Managers and all other managers with IT connections. Her advice and suggestions throughout this well-written book vibrate with hard-won experience and a strong aura of "been there, done that". Newly minted project managers will find a wealth of tips and templates to get them started and to provide project deliverables with the aplomb of seasoned veterans. Veterans will themselves find plenty to learn and re-learn from Ms. Lewin's hard-nosed, yet humorous approach. The author dispenses with the usual theoretical approaches to the subject but illustrates the best of the available theory with practical and thoughtful "cases".

If you have one project management book to read this year, read this one!

This is a short and easy to read book that is packed with practical advise. Marsha gives detailed examples that can be adapted for other projects. She discusses the role of tools for project managers but also discusses the unquantified problems that cause projects to fail such as personnel turnover, changes in scope, and defining the end of a project. She has obviously managed some large projects and is speaking from experience. I must contrast this with "Extreme Programming Explained" which might work for very small projects but which does not work for a large project.

Whether you are an experienced project manager or just starting out, this book should be on your shelf. For the beginner, it covers all of the basics...and much more. For the experienced project manager, much of it will be familiar, but you will find many opportunities to improve your techniques.

Better Software Project Management goes beyond the oversimplified approaches that confuse project management tools with project management. Real project management means dealing with people as well as tasks, schedules and budgets. This book offers insights into them all.

I have been engaged in the management of software projects for more than 30 years. This "primer" is, by far, the best and most concise book that I have ever read on the subject.

Of particular note, it is written by an experienced project manager to meet the needs of real life project managers. The author offers practical answers and presents usable examples that clearly show how her methods may be applied.

One of the hardest things for a new project manager to do is to sort out all of the acronyms, buzzwords, means and methods spoken of when describing the management of a project. The author cuts through the professional fog that obscures the subject and makes clear what is entailed in this art/science. Even after 30 years I found myself learning from her.

I strongly recommend this book.

As an IT Project/Program Manager, senior IT executive and fellow-author for more years now than I care to remember, I found Marsha Lewin's new book, "Better Software Project Management", a pleasant and informative surprise. Ms. Lewin has distilled her obviously vast experience into a highly practical "how-to" book which will prove invaluable to Project Managers and all other managers with IT connections. Her advice and suggestions throughout this well-written book vibrate with hard-won experience and a strong aura of "been there, done that". Newly minted project managers will find a wealth of tips and templates to get them started and to provide project deliverables with the aplomb of seasoned veterans. Veterans will themselves find plenty to learn and re-learn from Ms. Lewin's hard-nosed, yet humorous approach. The author dispenses with the usual theoretical approaches to the subject but illustrates the best of the available theory with practical and thoughtful "cases".

If you have one project management book to read this year, read this one!

The continuously expanding need to economically move large volumes of data at faster speeds presents formidable challenges to both engineering and business professionals. Understanding Broadband technology and deciphering its complex technical principles is an arduous task in a dynamic and evolving environment. Mr. Louis has once again put together a technical guide that provides an excellent roadmap to better understanding of the Broadband arena. Since the superhighway of projected Broadband ventures is lettered with failure, this most recent "Crash Course" is an important tool for the arsenal of any remaining entrepreneur attempting to succeed in Broadband deployment. ....and once again, all in easy to read/understand presentation.

This book provides valuable insight into the Broadband arena. P.J. Louis has clearly articulated his vision of the future of fiber and wireless. Whether or not one agrees, he earns respect for taking a strong position and defending it with plentiful detail. Louis is clearly a teacher whose aim is to inform and educate with this book. Business leaders would do well to read this before leaping into investments in this area. The book provides a significant level of knowledge to assist in making informed business decisions.

This book is an excellent and unbiased technology assessment for the broadband market, without all of the technical hype and marketing rhetoric. Moreover, the timely interjection of business considerations throughout, reminds the reader that technology and business are not mutually exclusive - only a technically sound and financially prudent solution will be successful. Mr. Louis breaks down the attributes and capabilities for each of the available and emerging broadband technologies in such a way, as to provide the non-technical reader with sufficient understanding to make sound business and investment decisions about the plethora of broadband technology options.

This book will prove invaluable in bridging the communications gap between the "technologists" and the "financier" - a communications gap that, in today's telecom world, has left many bankrupt entities wonder why?

Once again Mr. Louis is right on target both with the emerging Broadband technology subject & the manner in which he describes it. As a telecom industry principal consultant with CommFlow Resources Inc.,this book is a welcome addition to my library. The book is an extremely easy read & speaks with the language & insight of the people working within the industry. This book will be referenced often as a foundation on Broadband knowledge as well as a marketplace development guide. I eagerly await a next publication from Mr. Louis who has his finger on the pulse of technology.

The book provides the business professional with an understanding of the entire spectrum of Broadband technology. This is not an engineering textbook, but a book designed to provide the business reader with a foundation for understanding a very complex technology. Mr. Louis de-mystifies the subject and is able to describe both the technological and business aspects of a very complex topic.

I found the book refreshing in its easy to read and conversational tones. It makes great reading on a cross-country flight. I recommend it to anyone needing an overview of the Broadband arena.

I liked the plot of The Chaos Protocol - fast-paced, exciting, lots of twists and turns. Good high-tech research, credible scenarios. And the device of using a countdown - starting out with June 10 as Day 205 and counting down, scene after scene, as the millennium gets closer and closer, was quite effective. But I usually read a book for character, and I liked these characters because they weren't supermen, they were flawed and human. Alex, head of the y2k consulting firm, cool and professional at work, but in therapy because of his nightmares about what the year 2000 may bring. Annette, the brilliant, driven y2k project manager who is nevertheless clueless in her own love life. And one of my favorites, although a minor character, Norman Krebbs, a lowly accountant who fantasizes that he is a super-hero: Captain Bean Counter. Then there's Leo the nerd, and Volodya the charmer, and Harry the irascible old federal programmer - all the characters seemed well-drawn to me. I was cheering all these people on as I read the book, wanting them to find the computer worm, get their y2k project done, beat the deadline. As good as the high-tech stuff was, and as suspenseful as the plot was, it was the characters that made the book live for me. And here's a case of the headlines being ripped from the book!! The author actually anticipated headlines with this book. Newspapers are reporting potential massive embezzlements as a result of unethical y2k remediators - the very plot of the book!! Don't wait another day to read The Chaos Protocol!!!

This was a fun read. Having worked in the programming field and on Y2K projects for many years, I was impressed the accuracy and possability of the story.

Nancy McKibben has done an excellent job of describing high-tech problems in an easily readable style.

Annette reminds me of someone's sister though....

First of all, I rarely read a book in a weekend. I'm a slow reader and I'm easily distracted by shiny things. So that is about the best review that I can give it! The book is a mixture of a Tom Clancy novel and a Y2K primer. The plot moves along at a rippingly good pace and has a satisfactory ending. It also serves as a good primer for the Y2K problem, as well as preparations that companies and families should make. For Y2K experts, the discussions about Year 2000 issues may give you an excuse to skim a little, but be careful not to miss important stuff. The book finishes up early in 2000, but that is all I'll tell you. You and I will have to wait and see what really happens.

Y2K buffs may recognize a few of the characters. As an added bonus, my book even came with a Hollerith card for a bookmark. I've been looking for one of those to use in my lectures. Thanks, Nancy for an excellent read. So, when's the sequal?

In a nutshell: enjoyable, fast paced, good plot and educational.

So you thought Y2K's computer snafus would be the main thing to worry about come January 1, 2000? Get a grip. Get this book. Like looters during a blackout, economic opportunists -- hackers, e-thieves, and saboteurs -- will certainly take advantage of all the confusion created by Y2K's more prosaic problems. With gripping and even sympathetic characters to drive her plot and subplots, McKibben delivers.

The confusion at year's end is not exactly what Nancy McKibben means by "The Chaos Protocol," which in the book describes an insidious computer virus with worldwide economic consequences. But it's McKibben's possibly prescient rendering of the exploitation of the chaos at year's end that is most riveting -- and most newsworthy.

This is a well- and fast-paced page-turner. It's more than a thriller. Unlike the stuff of Clancy et al., the premise in "The Chaos Protocol" is actually within the realm of possibility -- and is something we should all be aware of lest we be caught unawares.

How long do we have? The countdown on McKibben's own website will let you know. But in the meantime, do yourself a favor and whisk through this thriller.

Super! I started reading late in the evening and at some point fell asleep. I woke up at 330AM and knew that I had to finnish the story and read through the night. Tired as I was, I had that good feeling you get when you have just seen a good movie or finished a rewarding task.

The story was mesmorizing. So many twists and turns, and I found myself engaged in the characters as much as the story. Y2K will come and go (we hope), but the characters should live on.

This timely story has all of the makings of a movie. It is thought provoking, and somewhat unnerving since we really don't know what to expect with Y2K and it certainly doesn't lack credibility.

Although this is her first book, I suspect we will see more of this author. (I hope). She is creative, articulate, careful and clearly knows how to research a story. Nancy, if you read this, I hope you are considering a sequel!